New
Scientist: Canada is one of the world's biggest suppliers
of radioactive isotopes for medical use through an aging
50-year-old reactor based at
Chalk
River in Ontario.Two brand-new reactors, constructed on the
same site for more than Can$350 million ($330 million), called
MAPLE 1 and MAPLE
2 were built as replacements.But the sad truth is that the
MAPLEs have never been officially switched on, and the chances
are they never will be.This has led to a furious row over who
is to blame for this costly and embarrassing debacle.Many in
the nuclear industry point the finger at Canada's nuclear
regulator. The regulator's view is that the reactors'
manufacturer failed to deliver a crucial safety feature that it
had promised would underpin the design.Others blame the
Canadian government for killing off the project before crucial
technical questions had been resolved.Alison Motluk
takes
a look at the technical difficulties faced by the reactors,
why the Canadian government shut them down, and why it is
building a billion-dollar replacement.
